Short Summary

HIGH IN THE MOUNTAINS NEAR FORT WINGATE, IN NEW MEXICO, MEN OF THE FIRST UNITED STATES ARMY UNIT TRAINED TO COMBAT READINESS WITH THE PERSHING INTERMEDIATE RANGE MISSILE, STAGED A "GRADUATION" LIVE-FIRING EXERCISE ON WEDNESDAY.

Description

HIGH IN THE MOUNTAINS NEAR FORT WINGATE, IN NEW MEXICO, MEN OF THE FIRST UNITED STATES ARMY UNIT TRAINED TO COMBAT READINESS WITH THE PERSHING INTERMEDIATE RANGE MISSILE, STAGED A "GRADUATION" LIVE-FIRING EXERCISE ON WEDNESDAY.

A PERSHING ROCKET, THE MODERN EQUIVALENT OF CONVENTIONAL LONG-RANGE ARTILLERY, WAS FIRED ABOUT 2-HUNDRED MILES TO A TARGET AREA IN THE WHITE SANDS PROVING GROUNDS.

THE MISSILE CAN HIT TARGETS UP TO 4-HUNDRED MILES AWAY WITH GREAT ACCURACY, AND HAS AS MUCH FIRE-POWER IN A SINGLE ROUND AS THE TOTAL FIRED BY ALL THE ARTILLERY USED IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR.

IT TAKES HALF-AN-HOUR TO PREPARE THE 35-FOOT TALL, NUCLEAR-ARMED WEAPON FOR LAUNCHING; A PROCEEDURE WHICH IS ACCOMPLISHED BY CHECKLIST INSTEAD OF A CLOCK.

THE AMERICAN DEFENCE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE PERSHING IS FASTER TO SET-UP, LESS COMPLICATED TO OPERATE AND EASIER TO MOVE AROUND THAN THE "REDSTONE" ROCKET, WHICH IT WILL REPLACE IN EUROPE, EARLY IN THE NEW YEAR.